An ironic obituary printed in an Australian newspaper has left thousands of people in fits of laughter around the world, reaching as far as the United Kingdom.
A death notice for Jennifer Ann Kelly, 88, was shared in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday after she died of pneumonia while in hospice care on October 28.
Ms Kelly was described as a “wild and wayward mother” and several entertaining details emerged, including that she “became very drugged”.
Her son Sean, 61, revealed it was just the tip of the iceberg when he told Daily Mail Australia about a family dinner where she added food to the meal and drugged everyone.
“She believed that exposing young people to religion was a form of child abuse,” the obituary said.
‘It was impossible to watch the news in his presence because of his outrage at the way the country is governed. He had a special contempt for John Howard.
‘Mum became very addicted to drugs, never wanted to leave a party and gave up champagne or gin frequently, but never simultaneously.
‘Her rare attempts at being a ‘responsible’ mother or grandmother were always touching. News on what’s next. Bring a shovel.
Jennifer Kelly, 88, died of pneumonia when a dry, moving obituary for her son meant many readers wished they had known her.
The obituary has spread through social media like wildfire and complete strangers praise the ironic tone.
Sean, who is a successful Sydney lawyer, added that his mother had lived her life at her own pace, with a relaxed upbringing and an emphasis on kindness, and that his parents thought “very outside the box”.
He said his happy-go-lucky mother had a laid-back approach to raising him and Chris, but made sure they followed two strict edicts.
“The things we would have gotten in trouble for were blatant dishonesty, or any form of violence, or anything unpleasant,” he said.
“But they weren’t picky, if they caught us with a little marijuana or something, that wasn’t the problem.”
Sean said his mother never believed she could spend her entire life directing what her children did, and not for lack of care.
“She used to find my occasional notes when I went to school and my practice notes and things like that,” he said.
‘She would correct the spelling. She was quite funny.
Sean remembered the day his father’s family came to visit his house. Mrs. Kelly adjusted her stuffing recipe before the meal.
“One time he put drugs in the turkey and drugged all of my father’s elderly relatives,” he said.
“We were kids, we didn’t like stuffing, so they kept us away from it. But my dad was involved and… unbeknownst to them, they all got high on drugs, and we ended up having to ring tubular bells around 11 .
“I remember sitting outside with my brother thinking, ‘When are these people going to leave?’ The shocking thing is that they never knew. We never told them.
Mrs. Kelly didn’t have many rules for her children, she just wanted them to be honest.
“They kept asking for more stuffing, they had no idea they were all high,” Kelly said, laughing.
Sean said it was difficult to watch his mother die, but Mrs Kelly’s livelihood had deteriorated over time due to the illness.
“In the end it was a mercy, because the quality of life was no longer the same and his cognition had been very poor,” he said.
“But it was very, very sad to see Mom die, it will be for a while,” he said.
Ms Kelly is survived by Sean and Chris Kelly, and Sean’s adult children, Jack, Sophie and Daniel.
Online, those who read the obituary said they wished they had met the “amazing” mother.
“I have no idea who this person who recently passed away was,” one wrote on Facebook.
‘But this obituary is so wonderfully cool that I very much wish I had had the opportunity to meet this Jennifer.
“Sounds like it’s absolutely amazing,” one man wrote online.
‘I’d like to meet Jennie, she sounds amazing. Rest in paradise,” one woman wrote on the death notice board.
‘Your mom sounds great. “This incredible tribute has reached thousands of people in the UK,” said another.
“Jenny clearly lived until she died.”